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My heart stutters in my chest, because Nicole asks the exact question that was rolling through my mind. If he was nice, gentlemanly, sent flowers,andhas no red flags…
“I agreed to another date,” she sighs. “Next weekend.”
Fuck.
“Well, that’s good,” Nicole cheerfully says. “Go, Math Wiz Alan! He got further than anyone else has in a while.”
How far have others gotten?
How long is ‘a while’?
“Feeney!”
I shoot up tall from my wooden resting place and glance toward an always seething Lieutenant Ruiz.
“We’re gonna run drills. Let’s go.”
I bring my phone back to my ear. To listen for a beat as the women discuss Alan and dating and flowers and all that bullshit. But since Nicole isn’t inclined to hear me say goodbye, I end my call and jump quickly to the text box.
Had to go. Time to work. I’ll call Bug tonight and discuss the bullying shit. I’ve got her back, Nic. I’m sorry for slacking. See you next month at your birthday. I love you.
Slipping the phone back into my pocket and pushing myself into a jog, I catch up with Ruiz at our base’s gym, and stop on the threshold when he swings around with gloved hands and slams his fist to my jaw.
Like an auger spinning into the ground, my knee hits the floor, and my hand comes up to cup my pounding jaw. “What the fuck?”
“We’re sparring, junior.”
“You said we’re running drills!” I push up to my feet and back up a step, since he’s likely to swing again. “Where’s the rest of the team?”
“Just me and you. I’ve got a little aggression to work through, and you’re still not good enough to be part of my crew. You’re so fucking lazy, chances are you’ll be the reason one of our team dies on a job.” He strikes out, venom in his eyes, and slams a fist made of concrete against my jaw. “Again.”
I lift my hands to guard my face, and circle into the gym so I have room to move without a doorway blocking my way.
The worst part is, I can’t even get mad at him for hating me. His rage about Ainsley Cootes is warranted. And the fact I got to hear Hannah for a minute today, only to have an aching jaw and a painful reminder minutes later, is the universe making sure I don’t forget that I don’t deserve a happy ending either.
Hannah Sullivan can date Alan the math dude. She can be friends with Raul Montenegro. Jenson can ask her out. And she’s allowed to get flowers every damn day of her life.
Because all of those men are safe.
And I’m… not.
Hannah
ABANDONMENT ISSUES
One week later
“This is Liza and Gerald Sullivan. We can’t take your call right now, but leave a message, and we’ll get back to you just as soon as we can.”
Beep!
“Hey, Mom.”
It’s the end of another long day, so I walk through my apartment door and drop my keys on the narrow side table as I pass and, for just a moment, I cling to the tinny, low-quality sound of my mother’s voice on her answering service.
“It’s… just me. I got a card in the mail recently. Well…” I set my bag on the floor and stop in the doorway to my living room. But it’s empty. Viv isn’t here. The TV is off. No one has walked this room since we both rushed out after our usual morning chaos. “I’ve gotten afewcards, actually. You’ve been around a lot, huh? But you’re close to where I am, so I’m kinda hoping that means you’ll be here for my boss’—”
I pause for a beat and frown. Nicole’s not my boss anymore, but my associate. My partner.
